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New Year, New Snow and Lifts, New Concerns on the Slopes

January 07, 2009 - Skiing is a luxury leisure sport, not a necessity – despite what some skiers believe. In a down-turned economy, downhill skiing could be an early budget cut among families feeling the financial pinch.

On the flip side, Maine resorts have made expensive improvements and blown mountains of snow to lure you to their slopes. Saddleback and Sunday River both launched brand new multimillion-dollar lifts in December, while Sugarloaf, Mount Abram and Shawnee Peak have spent considerable dough on snowmaking upgrades.

The holiday vacation period is a critical time financially for Maine ski resorts to fill their parking lots, beds, lifts and lodges with skiers and riders. The ski industry is serious business, despite its fun packaging. And Mother Nature, for better and worse, plays a part in their success. Snowstorms followed by rain over the holidays present challenges to skiers trying to get to the slopes, and for resorts as they work to provide the best possible surface conditions for customers.

"Dec. 26 was the strongest day after Christmas in nine years," said Melissa Rock of Shawnee Peak. "We may be getting some 'Disney dollars,' meaning people aren't doing the big holiday trips to Disney or elsewhere. They are staying closer to home and taking their trips within driving distance."

Sunday River's $7.5 million Chondola lift opened Dec. 20 in front of a huge crowd, in 6-degree cold. Stephen Kircher, president of Boyne's Eastern resorts; Byron Carlock, CEO of CNL Income Properties, the financial backer to Boyne; and even Gov. John Baldacci made an appearance to cut the ribbon to this state-of-the-art lift. (Note to Augusta: The governor needs a monogrammed ski jacket to alternate with his snowmobile jacket.)

The chiefs of Boyne and CNL have grand plans for their two Maine ski areas, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, but big investments typically hinge on big revenue returns. Whether the new high capacity chairlift/gondola entices more skiers and riders to visit Sunday River, and how night skiing will be received, are two questions that hang from the heavy high-tech Chondola cable. But skiers flocked to ride the sophisticated lift, waiting almost two hours to be among the first.

"The contrast is amazing between my father's first chairlift and this most modern Chondola lift," Kircher said. Boyne is a Midwest-based company with 13 ski resorts, started in 1947 by Everett Kircher, who invented the first quad chairlift in 1969, along with a series of snowmaking and grooming equipment.

Spirits were high among employees, who showed up en masse to cheer the Chondola opening. I applaud Dana Bullen, Sunday River's general manager, for bringing heart and soul to the resort, a mood previously lacked at the Newry ski area. Bullen knows employees' names, participates in Sunday River's message board and makes early morning tracks with guests. New capital alone doesn't make the ski experience – you need to have a friendly, helpful staff operating those lifts, teaching lessons and selling cocoa in the lodge.

Skiers, riders and the folks who work at Maine's ski resorts are excited to see capital infusion. Saddleback unveiled its new lift this season, a quad serving the scenic summit terrain previously reached by an aging t-bar.

"We had an excellent holiday at Saddleback. We are seeing many new skiers and riders excited about the new Kennebago Quad to the summit, and enticed by our $40 lift ticket," said JoAnne Taylor at Saddleback.

Investment has a ripple effect through the resort communities as well. Ben Pugliares opened a new ski shop at Sunday River this season.

"Ski sales have really picked up in the last week following the Chondola opening. People are coming in because we are new, and they are curious," he said.

Pugliares admits skiers also come in because of letters in the local paper about the controversial shop name, Piste Off, which is a play off of a ski term.

Skiers may be wondering when Boyne and CNL are going to buy Sugarloaf a fancy new Chondola, or a base to summit Funitel, perhaps. The speculation is as broad and bold as the snowfields themselves. I had the opportunity to ask Stephen Kircher about his plans for The Loaf during his December visit to Maine.

Kircher gets excited talking about Sugarloaf, saying it has the best terrain in the East.

"At Sugarloaf, the snow quality must be addressed before we improve the lift system. Lifts aren't a priority until we have quality, consistent snow in place," he said.

The big funding for Boyne comes from CNL Lifestyle Properties, a Florida-based real estate company that owns 115 properties and just bid to buy three more resorts from the Mueller family, longtime ski area owners. For a price tag of $132 million, CNL will acquire Okemo in Vermont, Crested Butte in Colorado, and Sunapee in New Hampshire.

So there seems to be no shortage of capital with this conglomerate, whose portfolio is real estate- and resort-based – potentially risky business in this economy. How will the independently owned ski areas – Saddleback, Shawnee Peak and Mount Abram – fare compared with the mega-resort monopoly?

The good news for skiers is the ski lifts are churning, the snow is being made and there are exciting plans for many of Maine's ski resorts, even at Camden Snow Bowl, where a $6.5 million improvement plan is in the works.

How the year turns out for ski resorts is a big question. Let's hope Mother Nature cooperates with consistent cold weather for the early part of 2009. I hope you can do yourself and Maine ski areas a favor and get out to ski and ride.

Wishing you a happy start to the New Year on the slopes.

HEATHER BURKE, Portland Press Herald, January 1, 2009


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